New York
by thesnOC
Summary: Rory goes to New York for the weekend, and bumps into someone from her past. Will he be part of her future? RJ takes place season 5, but will catch up with the present
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to amy and the wb.

Thursday.

It was 2 weeks later, actually one week and 6 days later, and Rory was still upset over what happened with Dean. They hadn't spoken since that night at her grandmother's, but they didn't have to. Rory knew it was over.

Rory was upset, but it was different from when Jess left her. When Dean left it was disappointing, and scary, because Dean was steady, and he had always been there for her, but now that constant was gone. When Jess left it hurt, because she really loved him, and would probably never get over him

"I've got to stop thinking about him... both of them," Rory told herself.

Just then the phone rang.

"Hello?" Rory answered.

"Hey Ace. What's up?"

It was Logan, a new friend of Rory's whom she had met this year at Yale. There wasn't anything romantic going on between them, but there was definitely chemistry.

"Nothing much... studying."

"Ok well finish that studying because tomorrow a few of us are New York for the weekend."

"What?" Rory asked

"New York?... you know tall buildings, lots of people."

"Yeah I know what New York is, I was just surprised."

"'Kay, well get packing. Be outside your dorm tomorrow at 3. We want to be on the road before there's too much traffic."

"Can I bring Paris?"

"If you must. Don't be late!"

"Alright, no blind fold this time?" Rory joked.

"Very funny Ace. No blindfold. See you tomorrow."

"Bye." Rory hung up the phone. Maybe a trip to New York was just what she needed.

------------------------------------

"...so, sorry, but you're all alone tonight night." Rory said as she finshed explaining why she couldn't come to Friday night dinner.

"Alone." Lorelai shuddered. "Maybe I'll lock myself in the panic room."

"Maybe you should bring Luke again?" Rory suggested.

"For round 2? I don't think so kid."

"True. Well good luck."

"I'll need it. Have fun! Love you."

"Thanks. Love you too mom."

"Bye."

------------------------------------

They arrived in New York at around 5. Logan's dad had connections, so they were staying at a hotel for free. The girls were sharing one room, and the guys were sharing another. They ate dinner in the hotel, and then went to the movies.

The next day they got up early. The went to the Museum of Natural History, and some art galleries.

After lunch they went downtown to Soho to do some shopping.

Paris and Rory went off by themselves, and Logan went off with his friends.

Paris's cellphone rang.

"They're ready to head back to the hotel." Paris told Rory.

"Ok, um, I'll meet you guys there later. I kinda want to hang out down here a little longer."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Paris asked.

"No its ok, you go ahead."

"Alright. See you later."

"Yeah. See ya."

Rory walked around Soho, and then realized where she wanted to go.

"Um, excuse me, where's Washington Square park?"... "ok, thanks."

Rory bought a coffee at a street vendor, and then headed into the park.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she approached a bench, and saw a young man about her age, with dark wavy hair reading a book. Her heart skipped a beat as the man began the lower the book from in front of her face.

"It's not him," she breathed. Then she turned on her heel, dismayed at the fact that she was looking for him in the first place. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she bumped right into someone, spilling coffee all over her shirt.

"Shit..." she muttered under her breath. Rory wasn't one to curse, but this was really the last thing she needed.

"I'm really sorry," the man said.

"Shit." Rory muttered again. Of all people she bumped into _him_.

"Rory?!" Jess practically yelled.

"Yeah..."

"W-What are you doing here?" Jess asked. He seemed really knocked off guard.

"I was in New York with some friends. I have to go."

She started to walk away.

"Rory wait." She stopped.

"What are you doing here... right here?"

"I wanted to go to a park." Rory stated lamely. He would see right through her, she knew it.

"You didn't possibly, maybe, a little bit hope that you would see me here?"

"Not everything is about you Jess."

"Yeah I know, but I think I know you enough to say that you didn't end up here by accident."

"Ok fine, you caught me!" Rory said. She was starting to get angry. "So I saw you, I realize I still hate you, now I'm leaving." Was she angry at him, or angry at herself? She wasn't really sure.

"Wait. You have coffee all over your shirt. My apartment is a few blocks away. At least come over and clean your shirt off."

"Jess..."

"I'll buy you a new coffee."

Oh yeah, Jess knew her well.

"Fine."


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in soooo long. Schools a b!tch. anyway, its short, but enjoy and I promise I'll update before the new year! Happy holidays everyone! 

The walk to Jess's apartment was quick. He lived a few blocks away from the park.

They walked up the stairs, and Jess began to unlock the door. "I've gotta warn you- this isn't exactly Trump Palace."

Rory chuckled.

"Brace yourself," Jess said as he opened the door.

Rory look around. It was small, but cozy. There was the front entrance, which led into the kitchen/dining area. There was a doorway, and then the bedroom, which had a bathroom, attached to it. There wasn't much furniture in the apartment, just a table with 2 chairs, and a couch, and a few bookcases filled up with books.

"It's nice." Rory commented after a few minutes of looking around. It was what Rory expected of Jess, but she wasn't disappointed. She was happy that he had his own place.

"How'd you get the…. To buy…" Rory trailed off. "Sorry that was nosey."

"No, its ok. I went to California, finished high school there. Got my GED. Now I'm working part-time at a book store, and part-time at a record store. Doesn't pay that much, but its enough to get by. This place was pretty cheap."

"Oh." Rory said. She was proud of him. She always knew he could do it. Now if she could only convince him to go to college… "That's great Jess." She really meant it.

"Yeah, thanks." Jess smiled. "Maybe eventually, I'll give college a shot."

"He's really changed." Rory thought to herself.

They stood there looking at each other for a few minutes before Jess gestured towards Rory's shirt. "We might want to get that cleaned off…"

"Right." Rory said, snapping out of her thoughts.

"So you can borrow one of my shirts I guess, and you can give me your shirt to wash. There's a Laundromat next door.

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Rory said.

"No I want to." Jess stated. "Plus I can get you that coffee I promised you."

"Yeah you did promise…" Rory smiled.

"Ok, well you can get changed in my room. My shirts are in the dresser across from the bed."

"K, thanks."

Rory wandered into Jess's room and closed the door behind her. She opened his dresser to pick out a shirt. Rory sighed as she looked through his shirts, remembering them. She slipped on his Tool t-shirt, and smelled Jess's familiar scent. She walked over to his bed and saw a book on the night table. She opened it up, and out fell the bookmark. When she picked it up, she realized it was a picture of her and Jess together.

Rory felt a mix of happy and sad tears coming. She put the book back in its place, wiped off her face and walked back out of Jess's room.

"Ah, my Tool t-shirt. Be careful if you go back in there- my Metallic shirt might be a little jealous."

"Ok," Rory said try to be serious, and then laughed.

She tossed Jess her dirty shirt. "I'll be back in like 15 minutes. Make your self at home. There's a T.V. in my bedroom."

"Alright. Thanks."

"See you in a few."

"Jess?" Rory asked.

Jess stopped in the doorway. "Yeah."

"When you get back, we need to talk." Rory stated.

"Yeah." Jess agreed and closed the door behind him.


	3. chapter 3

After Jess left Rory decided to go back into Jess's room. She picked up the book again and took out the picture of them. "If he cared enough to keep a picture of me, why did he keep leaving?" Rory wondered.

She spent a few more minutes looking around the apartment and glancing through the bookshelves. She thought about how many books she had that still had Jess's notes in the margins, and how much she missed him when she read those books. She opened one book and saw her notes in the margins. A few minutes later she heard a key in the door.

"I'm back…" Jess yelled and he opened the door.

"Hey." Rory came and greeted him.

"Here's your coffee," Jess handed it to her, "and your shirt is in the machine. I have to go back down in like 20 minutes."

"Ok. Thanks Jess."

"You're welcome." There was an awkward silence. "So… what'd you do while I was gone?"

"I just looked around. Flipped through some books."

"I think some of them might still have your notes in the margins." Jess smiled. Rory noticed he was smiling more. They were real, genuine smiles. "Maybe he's really happier here?" Rory thought.

"Jess can we…"

"Talk?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, well let's sit." He gestured over to the table and chairs in the kitchen/dining area.

"Where do you want to start?" he asked.

"Where did you go when you left?"… "The first time." Rory added, maybe a little too harshly.

Jess definitely felt the sting. "California. My dad visited me at the diner, but he didn't really say much and he left so abruptly. I had so many questions."

"You could have told me." Rory said softly.

"I know, but I had let you down too many times. I couldn't take you to the prom. I didn't graduate. I was a mess, and I didn't want to bring you down too."

"I didn't want you to leave."

"I know."

Rory was almost in tears. Jess looked up at her, expecting another question. Rory chuckled. "I guess the only way you're going to talk is if I ask you questions, huh?"

"Yeah, well I'm not so good at the whole pouring my heart out thing."

"Well you're not doing to badly." She smiled and wiped a tear away. "So that was you who called me at my graduation right?"

"Yeah."

"And…"

"And I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. I wanted to be there, but I couldn't. It was just another way I let you down. And I heard everything you said, and you said you were done, that we were done."

"Jess I was really hurt."

"I know."

"Ok, Liz's wedding? You tell me you love me, and then you leave. For the 2nd time."

"It's not like you ran after me!" Jess almost yelled.

"I didn't know I was supposed to!"

"What would you have done if I didn't leave?"

"I-I don't know." Rory said, the tears threatening to fall.

"And you didn't want to come with me when I came to your dorm at Yale."

"Jess, you were asking me to run away with you!"

"So?"

"So! So you showed up out of the blue, and asked me run away with you! I couldn't just leave everything." "It doesn't mean I didn't want to…" Rory mumbled.

Jess sighed. He didn't mean to upset Rory, but the truth was he was upset to.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Every so often one of them would glace up, but then look down if they saw the other looking at them.

"So I guess that's enough talking for one day."

"Hm ya think?" Jess smiled, his old sarcasm coming back.

"Yeah." Rory nodded, a smile forming on her lips. She had definitely missed Jess. "Well I should get my shirt and then head back to my hotel."

"Right." Jess stated and walked her to the door. So the laundromat is next door, it's not too hard to find. I can come down if you need me to."

"Thanks. I think I can handle it myself. I'm an expert at laundry thanks to Yale."

"Huh, so that school isn't overrated after all?" He smiled then got more serious and looked at the floor. "So I'll see you around and, uh, you know where to find me. I mean, if you want to."

"I do." Rory assured him. "Bye Jess."

"Bye Rory."

And then he did something that surprised her. He pulled her into a hug. She wasn't expecting a hug, but she was happy he did it. She hugged him back.

He nodded at her and she walked out the door, and had a smile on her face the whole way back to the hotel.

A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. Sorry I haven't updated since December. I promise I'll update more regularly. Thanks for all the feedback!


	4. chapter 4

Rory woke up Sunday morning to Paris violently shaking her.

"Rory!"

"Paris…" Rory moaned, still keeping her eyes shut.

"You are impossible to wake up!"

"Yea well I didn't have the greatest night of sleep." Rory replied. "You know, every time I sleep in the same room as you, I hear you screaming about 'not have sexual relations with that woman'." A/N: Washington, anyone? haha

"Well, I can't control what I say in my sleep."

"Whatever you say Paris."

"So someone was very happy when she got back yesterday." Paris commented, changing the subject. "Who's the guy?"

"Guy?" Rory blushed. "There's no guy."

"Girl?"

"Shut up!" Rory hit her with a pillow. "You're the one that kissed me on spring break last year, and you're the one that dreams about girls and sexual relations!"

"Ok, ok!" Paris laughed. "Seriously though, I can tell you met someone."

"I think I'm going to hang out with _him_ today, and if it goes well, then I'll tell you who it is."

"Do I know him?"

"He's kind of an acquaintance?" Rory wasn't sure how to phrase it.

"Ok, well don't keep me in the dark for too long."

"I won't. And are you sure it's ok for me to go off. I feel like I'm ditching you."

"Don't worry it's fine. I like going to museums by myself anyway. It's more quiet."

"You're not going with Logan and co?" Rory asked.

"Logan can only take 1 day of museums. Yesterday was that day. Today? Parties."

"Right. Well you know I could just call Je- I mean the guy and tell him-"

Paris cut her off. "Rory, you weren't going to say who I think you were going to say?"

"Um, well that depends on what you think I was going to say…"

"Jess?"

"Yes."

"JESS MARIANO!"

"Yes."

"Jess Mariano who left you twice with no goodbye, no explanation."

"How many more times can I say yes? Do you need me to say it in a different language?"

"No, I just"-

This time Rory cut Paris off. "Think he's going to hurt me again? I know, my head was screaming 'don't talk to him!' but he's different. He's changed."

Paris sighed. "Just be careful."

"I will."

"And I know I'm not the person you would come running to for boy advice, but I'm here if you want to talk."

"Thanks Paris. That means a lot to me," Rory said as she gave Paris a hug.

Paris got up off the bed. "Well go, shower. Don't want to keep Jess waiting too long!"

Rory smiled as she rolled out of her bed and headed into the bathroom.

Rory knocked on the door to Jess's apartment but there was no answer. She figured he wasn't home yet, so she decided to wait for Jess in Washington Square park. She wrote Jess a quick note, an slid it under the door,

She smiled as she bought a cup of coffee at the same kiosk where she bought the one Jess had spilled on her when they bumped into each other the day before.

She sat down on a bench and pulled a book out of her bag.

meanwhile-

Jess had just gotten up to his apartment where he saw the note from Rory.

"If I remember correctly how to get there, I'll be in Wash. Sq. park. Cell: (203) 555-3025

Rory"

Jess went back to the downstairs, and walked to the park. He found her sitting on a bench. Coffee in one hand, book in the other. She looked so content.

"You look happy."

Rory looked up from her book and smiled. "Yeah, well it doesn't take much to please me."

"Dirty!" Jess teased as he sat down next to her.

"Hey!" Rory said swatting his arm with her book. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, I know. Sorry. I do know what you mean though. In the summer I come here almost everyday with a good book."

"And a pen" Rory added.

"Of course." Jess and Rory both smiled.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Jess asked.

"I think I have an idea…" Rory smiled.


	5. chapter 5

After about 3 blocks of walking Jess stops Rory.

"You don't know where you're going do you?" he laughed.

"I know where I want to go, I just don't know how to get there." Rory pouts.

A short train ride later they arrive at the record store a/n: season 2- "Lorelai's Graduation Day"

"I forgot how great this place is!" Rory exclaimed as she flipped through records.

Jess smiled.

"So… this is me." Rory says as they reached her hotel. "This weekend was," Rory paused, "good."

"Good. I uh." Jess cleared his throat, "I missed you. It was good to be able to talk to you again."

Rory smiled. "Yeah, same."

"So, um, tell Luke I say hi."

"I will. And you have my cell phone number, so we should keep in touch."

Jess nods. "I'll call."

"Good."

"So…"

"I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah."

Rory reaches up and gives him a kiss on the cheek. The second their cheeks touch her heartbeat quickens, and she feels like she's 17 again.

They linger for a minute, and then Rory takes a step back, trying to compose herself.

She looks up, and sees Jess staring down at her.

She turns to walk into her hotel.

"Wait!" Jess called out. Rory turns around.

"You didn't say goodbye." Jess smiles, clearly mocking her.

"Goodbye Jess." Rory laughs.

"Bye Rory."

They spoke pretty regularly for the first few months. It was mostly over the phone, sometimes an email.

"How come I didn't know Luke and your mom were dating?"

"Well, were."

"What do you mean were?"

"I guess you speak to me more often than you speak to Luke," Rory laughed. "There was this whole thing at my grandparent's vow renewal. My dad showed up, and him and Luke jumped into father mode when they caught me and Logan, and then Chris said-"

Jess cut her off. "Wait a second, caught you and Logan?"

"Logan, right. He's uh this guy I know from Yale. We got caught in a little bit of an embarrassing state."

"Huh."

There was a pause in the conversation. They hadn't really talked about guys/girls in either of their lives.

"So anyway, now they're broken up. Luke said he needs time to think."

"Right," Jess scoffed. "Luke's been in love with Lorelai for years. He'll get over it."

"I hope so. Mom's a mess."

"Alright well I gotta get going. Talk to you soon."

"Right. I'll call next time."

"Say hi to Logan!" Jess joked.

"Haha. Maybe I will.

"Ok."

"Bye!" Rory laughed.

A/N: the following scene takes place after "But I'm a Gilmore!"

The next time her sees her she'd a mess.

Jess heard a loud pounding at the door. He gets up from his space on the couch, and places his book down.

He opens the door and Rory stumbles in.

"Are you drunk?" he asks her, surprised.

"A little…" she giggles.

"Rory what-"

He's cut off by her lips, but he pushes her away.

"You… you don't want me?" she questions, drunkenly.

"Look at yourself Rory, what happened?" He avoided the previous question.

"You don't want me. Fine!" she goes to open the door but he moves to block her way.

"Jess move!" "Move! I mean it!" she screams.

She tries to push him away, the combination of her being drunk and him being stronger throws her off balance.

He reaches out to help her, and she pulls him into a hug. She starts sobbing.

"Shhh. It's ok"


End file.
